Flood Rising
by CelloNinjaAngel
Summary: "You created those hallucinations," I whispered, "You made everyone think I was insane! How could you, Finnick? I thought you cared about me. I wanted to die. I wanted to kill myself. And it's all your fault," the tears finally fell. ON HIATUS
1. Chapter 1

Chapter 1: One Name

**A/N: I started shipping Finnick/Annie like two days ago, and decided to write one. I'm sorry that I had to delete two stories, but I couldn't write them. My mind blanked out. Well, enjoy this one! **

**Annie POV**

I woke up early that day. I didn't know why, I just knew that it was a special day, but special in a bad way. The sky was cloudy, and the waves looked dark, not the normal sea green it usually was. Then I remembered. Reaping Day.

Of course, I knew I wouldn't get chosen. I mean, what were the odds? District 4 was huge, and there were so many children in it. What was the chance that I would get chosen? The selfish, girly side of me, which was not a lot, wanted to get reaped this year. FInnick Odair was a mentor, and he was practically the best looking boy in the entire nation of Panem. My practical side knew that being mentored by Finnick Odair wasn't worth getting killed brutally in the Hunger Games.

0o0o0

"Name?"the Capitol worker asked when I finally got to her table.

"Anna Cresta," I replied.

The Capitol worker checked off my name, "Next!"

I walked slowly to the sixteen year old section, where my best friend, Eileen was. She smiled at me when she saw me.

"Just two more years until we don't have to even worry about reaping," she sighed in relief, "And then we can actually have a life."

"Well, I'm sure many girls this year would want to get reaped this year," I joked, "If it means the great Finnick Odair can teach them to kill."

I snickered, "I think even the great Finnick Odair will give up on them the minute he sees them."

We were going to continue joking, but Lucas Corday, the District 4 escort, stepped on the stage, and the crowd became silent, including us.

"Hello District 4!" he yelled enthusiastically. Everyone responded back, "Happy 70th Hunger Games! May the odds ever be in your favor!"

That announcement was met with cheers for the first time since Finnick Odair last mentored tributes. Lucas smiled brightly.

"Well, it's always ladies first!" he reached into the Reaping Ball, and swished his fingers around for a while, before pulling out a plain white slip of paper with flourish.

The entire district seemed to hold its breath, before Lucas announced the name, "Anna Cresta!"

I froze. It couldn't be me. I had been lucky for years, and now, they had to reap me. I couldn't move. Lucas called my name again. I couldn't escape it. As if in a horrible trance, I slowly walked to the stage.

"Well, Anna, how do you feel after getting reaped?" Lucas had this big smile on his face that I wanted to punch off.

"I feel so excited," I smile really brightly, and hoped that nobody would see that I was faking it, "After all, the great Finnick Odair is going to be one of my mentors!" I hid a smirk when I saw the most of the girls were glaring at me.

"We're all so excited for you too!" Lucas smiled, "Now, gentleman!" he did the same with the boys as he had done for the girls, "Sage Aeta!"

I stood rigidly as a small twelve year old boy walked up the stage. His eyes were filled with terror, and he looked like he was about to cry. It almost tore me apart to see somebody as young as him to be reaped.

"How do you feel to be reaped, dear Sage?" Lucas smiled at him. _Fuck _was the only thought in my mind. He was going to cry…

"I... I… always wanted to see the Capitol," he stammered. I would have raised my eyebrows at him, in different circumstances.

Lucas didn't seem to notice Sage's discomfort, he just continued grinning, "I present to you, the tributes of District 4!"

0o0o0

I buried my face in my hands, my cocky act evaporating rapidly.

"You have one hour to see the people you love," the Capitol guard barked, and I simply nodded, trying to look at him in the eye.

The first people to come see me were my parents.

"Annie, you will come back to us safely, all right?" Father seemed to command me, not ask me, as usual, "You will come back from the Games, as victor!"

"Yes, Father," I replied meekly. I knew he cared about me, which was why he was being so forceful.

Mother didn't say anything, just hugged me tightly, her eyes filled with tears.

"I'll come back," I tried to make my voice strong, "I will come back."

Mother nodded, and left, along with Father.

Next was only Eileen.

"The others didn't come," she smiled a small smile, though she looked ready to cry, "after what you said to Lucas up there."

"I figured," I shrugged, sighing, "At least you came. You're the only one that matters."

"I'm glad that Finnick is a mentor this year, I'm pretty sure that he'll help you win. Even if he's pretty full of himself, he was a victor, and probably knows a lot. Listen to him, all right? Once you come back, we can make fun of the other girls as much as we want."

I nodded again, "Yeah, I know."

"You will come back, Annie. You're strong, you can fish well, and you have great aim. I'm going to believe in you," Eileen hugged me tightly, and I could tell she was trying so hard not to cry.

"I'll come back, even if it's only for you, okay?" I asked, my voice muffled by Eileen's sweater, "No matter what happens."

We stayed like this until the Capitol guard dragged her away.

0o0o0

The train was amazing, though I had seen it already many times. I felt awed by the pure sleekness of it, the silver color, streamlined for speed. Sage's eyes were puffy and red for crying. I lay one hand on him reassuringly.

The interior of the train was even more amazing than the exterior. It was filled with only the most exquisite furniture.

The first thing I did was enter my cabin, which I would be in for a couple days, because District 4 was one of the first districts to board the train. Like I always did, I felt bad for the District 12 tributes, who would be on the train the least.

In my room, I found a closet full of clothing that was made of the most expensive fabrics, dresses, and colors that I had never seen before.

The bed was so soft, and huge, a king size, for only one person. I didn't realize how tired I was until I collapsed on the huge bed. I wanted to sleep forever, but I wasn't done exploring.

The bathroom was the part of the train the amazed me the most. It was huge as well, and filled with so many buttons. Sleeping was pushed to the back of my mind. Before I could explore any more, I heard a knock on my door, and I quickly pulled myself out of the trance and opened it. A server stood outside.

"Miss Cresta, it is time for dinner," he spoke stiffly, and held the door for me as I stepped outside.

Sage was already there, along with our two others. The first, sitting right next to Sage, was an old woman, whom I suspected to be about eighty or so. The second person had an empty chair next to him, and I immediately recognized him as the great Finnick Odair.

Even I, after all those years of teasing him with Eileen, had to admit he was breathtaking, and I could barely refrain from bending down and kissing his feet. It was extremely hard to even maintain my cool. I smiled once, and sat down next to him.

"Hello, Annie. I'm Finnick Odair, and I'll be your mentor this Hunger Games," Finnick smiled his breathtaking smile, and held out his hand, which I shook.

"Hello," I smiled.

It seemed like Sage had cleaned up a bit while I stood gawking at my train compartment. That was when I remembered that Sage was the mayor's oldest son. My heart ached again. Sage could have been a mayor when he grew up…

"This is Mags," Finnick gestured to the eighty year old woman, "She's going to mentor Sage. I'm going to mentor you, like I already said."

"Hello," I smiled at the old woman, and she smiled a toothless smile back at me, "It's a pleasure to meet you."

"So eat up, Sage and Annie, and we'll start off with tactics and such," Finnick grinned again, and continued to eat.

The food looked quite tasty, yet strange. I didn't know what was good, and what was bad. I decided to try the fish, since it looked the most normal.

Finnick seemed to notice my awkwardness, and he pointed at something that resembled some kind of meat, "That's the turkey with cranberry sauce and gravy. It's quite tasty," I didn't know if I should trust him, but I decided to try it anyways.

I immediately wanted to spit it out, but swallowed, "It's… very… different."

"Oops, I forgot that you aren't used to Capitol food. Turkey is made out of an ugly, big bird. But it's quite good, if you get used to the saltiness, sourness, and sweetness all at the same time."

"I don't think I'll be around long enough to get used to something like this," I replied pointedly, half of me joking, and half of me being serious.

"I beg you to differ," he laughed, and I shook my head, "Nobody can lose with Finnick Odair's help," his eyes were serious for the first time. 0o0o0

After trying the turkey with cranberry sauce and gravy, I decided to only eat the fish, which was actually very delicious. After everyone ate their fill, we moved to the "living room," and we sat on plush arm chairs. Mags was drinking some kind of tea, and Finnick was popping sugar cubes in his mouth.

"So, it's time for you to learn about the tactics of the arena," Finnick began, chomping on a sugar cube, "The first thing to know is try to ally yourselves with the Careers. They are your best chance of surviving. You also need to know when to leave them. When there are not a lot of tributes left, leave the Careers, or what is left of them. Try to sneak out quietly, unnoticed. Pretend you are searching for food, or anything like that."

I nodded, barely listening to Finnick. I wasn't interested in allying. Alliances were dangerous, and I wasn't going to put myself- or Sage, whom I decided to protect, in danger by trusting a group of highly dangerous tributes.

"The first thing to search for is water. You can survive for a longer time with water than food. Though food is quite important, if you don't have water, you won't survive long. Learn about different types of edible plants. Plants aren't as filling as meat, but it can save your life."

Finnick seemed to be the only one talking.

"We will talk more about the arena later. First, we must discuss the time before the Games begin, which almost as important as the Games themselves. This is something that every tribute must remember. Do not protest against your stylists, no matter that they do. In a few days, you will meet your stylists, when they prepare you for the chariot rides. If you complain even once, they will give you a terrible outfit, which means you may not get as many sponsors."

"I think they have heard enough from you, Finnick. Why don't you let them sleep?" Mags spoke for the first time, and sighed in relief. I was getting tired from Finnick's constant chattering, even if it was life-saving information.

"Yes, of course," Finnick's attitude changed immediately while talking to Mags. His voice softened, and his cocky attitude immediately disappeared, "Annie and Sage, why don't you go to your rooms and get some rest? Today was a very… important day for you."

I looked one last time at Sage, and I saw that his eyes were filled with relief.

0o0o0

I had changed into what seemed to be a night gown, and was lying on the huge, soft bed, when I heard my door open, and panicked. I had not locked my door, because I wasn't really worried. it wasn't like anybody was going to attack me. It turned out to Sage. I quickly smiled, and opened the door wider.

"Annie?" he asked softly.

"I'm listening," I tried to sound patient, and kind.

"What do you think will happen to us?" his voice was so soft and innocent, and I almost cried again.

"I'll die before I let you die, Sage," it wasn't a very good promise; because I knew I wouldn't last very long in the arena. Even if I don't make it out, I'll make sure you do, Sage."

"Are you going to ally with the Careers?"

"If they ask, we're gonna have to, Sage. We can't say no to Careers. But I don't want to ally with them. I don't want to trust them. I don't care how nice they'll look."

Sage seemed to relax a little, "Annie, can I sleep with you?" I opened my mouth to reply, but he added quickly, "I know it sounds really stupid, but…" he trailed off.

"Of course Sage," I smiled a genuine smile this time, "It's a large bed anyways."

He snuggled close against me, and fell asleep against my chest. I let out a small sigh, so he wouldn't wake up. Sage was too innocent, too young to die, not in such a cruel way like this. A single tear rolled down my cheek. No matter how hard I tried, I knew neither one of us would make it out. With that thought, I fell into a restless sleep.

**A/N: Well what do you guys think? Please review! **


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2: Uncomfortable

**A/N: I haven't updated any of my stories for ages because I had to get ready for a move on August 10****th****. This chapter will be in both Annie and Finnick's POV. This may be confusing, because it'll be Annie POV, then Finnick POV, then Annie POV again. So just enjoy this chapter, and hopefully I'll update sooner for the next chapter. **

**Annie POV**

I reached my hand out a little bit to the other side of the bed, like I had been doing the entire night, just to know if Sage was still there. I smiled absentmindedly when I could feel his warmth. He hadn't woken up the entire night, lucky him. I took a look at the clock, and saw it was 6:00 a.m. Finally!

"Sage," I whispered, shaking him gently. He didn't stir at all, "Sage," I repeated a little louder, "Sage!" I practically yelled, shaking him violently.

"Uh… What?" he blinked his eyes open, and looked around, panicked.

"Oops, sorry," I apologized, "but Finnick said to wake up at 6, and it's 6, so I woke you. Today's a big day, you know."

"It's going to be big days everyday for a while," he replied, staring up at me, "It's going to be big until we die."

I flinched, "We're not going to die, Sage. I promise."

"Well, one of us will have to," he pointed out, "And I think I'll be the one to die first."

I didn't reply to that, just simply rolled off the bed and got ready in the bathroom. The door seemed to click loudly as Sage left.

0o0o0

I wore a blue dress that reminded me of home to breakfast. Sage wasn't there, which surprised me, and neither was Mags. Only Finnick was there.

"Slept well last night?" he asked cheerfully, and I just nodded vaguely.

"You probably did," I muttered bitterly, "You don't have to fight to your death later this week."

If Finnick heard, he didn't show any sign and simply continued eating. Luckily, the food at breakfast looked and tasted more normal than dinner. Even when I finished eating my fill, Mags and Sage still didn't come. Finally, I couldn't stand not knowing.

"Where are Mags and Sage?" I blurted out. Finnick raised an eyebrow at me.

"First of all, you'll have to contain your words during the interview and training. Second, they're eating on their own to discuss tactics."

I blushed, and Finnick smiled back at me.

"Anyways," he continued, "We're here."

"What?" I asked, shocked, "Already?"

He shrugged, "If you don't believe look outside. But hurry. We have a lot to discuss, all right? Well not a lot, but anyways…" he trailed off.

I raced to the window, and barely hid a gasp. The Capitol seemed huge compared to District 4, and we were one of the larger districts. Tall buildings seemed to touch the sky, and I realized, it was beautiful, if I ignored the fact about how many people died working on this glorious sight.

"Done gawking?" Finnick's voice interrupted my thoughts.

"Uh… Yeah," I blushed for the second time today, "Sorry, it's just so… big."

"You thought after everything the Capitol takes from us, it'd be small?" he asked sarcastically, "After all, they take more things from us than leave things for us."

"Yes, yes, yes, I get it, Finnick. Thank you for the Capitol history lesson," I interrupted impatiently, "Now what do you need to talk about?'

Before he could answer, there was a knock on the door. Looking annoyed, Finnick stood up from his chair and opened the door. Outside, were three of the weirdest people I had ever seen.

"How did you get on this train?" Finnick raised his eyebrows.

"We jumped on. There's no time, this is a busy year! The tribute parade is very important, Finnick. We have to get the tributes ready," the man with curly green hair exclaimed.

"This is your prep team, Annie. They're going to… get you ready for the tribute parade. They take it from here. See you later," Finnick smiled, and exited the room.

I finally got the nerve to study my prep team more closely. First was the man with curly green hair and pink skin who talked to Finnick, a woman with long blue hair, and white skin, who looked the most normal of the three, and the woman with short, pink and orange hair, and sparkly red skin.

The train jerked and stopped completely. I looked out the window to see hundreds, no thousands, of people standing outside, cheering for me. Annie Cresta, the poor girl from District 4. I sucked in a breath, and waved back dreamily. The Capitol citizens became more enthusiastic as they saw me.

"Hello, I'm Naila," the woman with blue hair spoke quickly, drawing me back from the window, "This is Asheni," she pointed to the woman with the pink and orange hair, "And this is Eagen," she pointed at the man with green hair, "Like Eagen said, we don't have much time. Follow us!"

My prep team practically dragged me off the train, and skillfully pulled me through the center of the crowd, to the legendary Games Building.

0o0o0

**Finnick POV**

I quickly raced out of the train, trying to be quiet, ran into the Games Building, and skillfully made the twists and turns that I had made so many times before until I found Room 3007. I pulled out a key from my pocket, and opened the door.

"Finnick? Is that you?" a male voice asked.

"It's me," I replied, taking a few more strides into the dimly lit room.

The room was lit by lanterns on the four corners. Towards the center of the room, was a wide, low table. Two teens sat on opposite sides of the rectangular table. They both had jet black hair, and wore identical black and white jumpsuits. The girl looked up and smiled a small smile.

"Hey Finnick," Asami waved, "You here for the designs?"

"Yup," I sat down next to her. Finally, Hideki looked up, and grinned at me, "You just noticed me, Deki?" I grinned back at him.

"Yes, I just noticed the great Sex God of Panem," Hideki sighed in mock regret.

"The Capitol people are still trying to convince us to be like them," Asami made a face, "Can you imagine rst out laughing. Asami and Hideki were twins who escaped from the country Pretium, so they hadn't adapted to the Capitol's sense of fashion. In addition to that, they had secretly decorated their design room like their mother country.

"Here," Hideki handed me a design sheet, "This is the costume for your female tribute."

"And this is the costume for your male tribute," Asami handed me a second sheet.

I stared blankly at the designs, "These are for the tribute parade?"

The twins nodded.

"Why didn't I have these during my parade?" I pretended to slap them.

"We weren't there during your Games," Hideki pointed out, then it dawned upon him, "That wasn't literal, was it?" that only made me laugh harder.

0o0o0

**Annie POV**

I clenched my teeth, barely holding back a scream of pain as my prep team ripped another sticky sheet off my legs. I knew my prep team was doing this so I didn't look hairy to the sponsors, but still…

"How many more times do I have to do this?" I asked through gritted teeth.

"Depends on how hairy you are, Annie," Asheni replied happily, as Naila ripped another sheet off my other leg.

After 30 minutes of teeth clenching pain, the prep team ripped the last sheet off my arms, "You're done, my dear," Eagen smiled.

"Yeah," I sighed.

"Now we just have to put on makeup, and fix your hair," Naila read off a list she was holding.

"How long will that take?" I groaned.

"About 2 hours," Asheni smiled happily.

"What?" I practically shouted, but my prep team was already dragging me into another room, "Let me go!"

I was dragged down the hallway into a room with mirrors all around it.

"Asheni and Eagen will do your makeup, until your hair's about half done, then Asheni will work on makeup with me," Naila explained quickly.

Eagen pushed me into a swivel chair, as Asheni pulled out makeup kit. Naila fingered through my hair, and then began to brush it briskly.

After two hours, I was still Annie Michelle Cresta. Only I didn't feel like Annie Michelle Cresta anymore. My face was covered in what felt like 10 layers of makeup, and my hair was pulled up in a style that felt strange to me. But I looked beautiful, so I supposed it was worth it.

"Oh darling, you look a-mazing!" Asheni cooed, "The crowd is going to love you so much, Annie. No need to thank me," I opened my mouth to talk, but she interrupted.

"Well, we'll see you soon, Annie dear," Eagen smiled, and my prep team exited, leaving me along in a beauty chair.

"So you're Anna Cresta?" a soft male voice with an accent that wasn't a Capitol accent asked from the shadows.

I jumped in my chair, "Yes," I whispered.

Finally, I gathered enough courage to look in the mirror. Right behind me, was a teenage boy, maybe a little older than 20. He had jet black hair, and dark brown eyes. He didn't look like he belonged in the Capitol at all. Instead of crazy clothing like my prep team, he wore a simple black and white jump suit.

"Who are you?" my voice was barely audible. Half of my brain scolded me for being so weak.

"I'm Hiideki," he replied in that same soft voice, "I will be your stylist during the Games. Listen closely to what I'm about to say now," I gulped and nodded, "I am not here to make you pretty, cute, or beautiful. I am here to help you survive. I am here to make you desirable. It may not seem like nothing at first, but what I make you wear today, and almost every day, may save your life in that arena," he paused suddenly, "or kill you."

I shuddered, and nodded again, "Um, Hideki?" I asked timidly, and he looked at me expectantly, "You're not going to make me a sea creature, are you?

He laughed for the first time, "Don't worry. I'm not that stupid," he swiftly grabbed some clothing that was covered in black paper, "Stand over here," he pointed next to him, and I walked stiffly after sitting for so long, "Now, close your eyes."

A soft,, cool fabric slid over my head and somehow fitted perfectly on my body. Something was placed on my hair, and my stylist painted lightly over my face.

"You may open your eyes now," I opened my eyes, and let out a gasp.

"Well, I guess I'm not a fish," that was the only thing I could say.

"I told you," Hideki smirked.

I had a silver tiara on my hair, with jewels that were different shades of blue. I was wearing a blue dress that changed color as I moved.

"It's… very beautiful," I managed a smile, "But did you really have to show my cleavage?

"The Capitol loves that," he shrugged, "I'm sorry. Anyways, there'll be a surprise on the chariot or two, if that makes you feel better."

"Yeah," I breathed.

"Well, get out there, Ocean Princess," Hideki nodded as a door that I hadn't seen in the shadows opened, letting me see bright sunlight, "Remember to smile."

I stepped outside to the chariot clearing. Sage was already there, wearing a shirt and pants that were the same color as my dress, and a crown with similar jewels. The chariot was blue as well, with the same multicolored material. The horses were white, with a blue and sandy white outfit.

"Hey," he greeted me stiffly, the argument from morning apparently not forgotten.

"Hi," I replied just as coolly. Tension crackled in the air.

Sage blinked a couple times, then shrugged, looking down at his bare feet, "At least the ground's not hot. They didn't give us shoes," he tried to break the tension.

"Yeah," I smiled a small smile, "I was worried about it too."

Most of the tributes still hadn't arrived yet, and the tributes who were here stayed quiet, so I decided that District 1 and 2 weren't done yet. From the costumes, I could tell that District 7 was here, in their annual tree costumes, District 12, with their coal miner outfits. Both districts didn't seem like much of a threat.

The six of us waited in an awkward silence, until all the other tributes arrived. District 1 and 2 arrived last, wearing smug smirks. District 1 were dressed entirely in silver and gold, jewelry all over them. District 2 wore black and gold armor, with matching helmets.

The huge gates smoothly opened, and I was blinded by a bright light. By the time I was accustomed to the light, the chariots were already moving down the parade path. Cheering filled my ears, and Capitol people lined up next to the path. Dizziness began to take control of me.

"Annie!" Sage hissed, pulling me back to reality, "Smile, act happy!"

I sucked in a breath, and waved to the crowd, as they crazily cheered. I didn't understand what they were making a fuss about, until I looked behind me to acknowledge a rose thrower. There was water spraying out, changing shape and color every second from the back of the chariot, the back of my dress, and the back of Sage's pants. I could barely tear my eyes off the water, but I managed to look forward again.

At last, all the chariots lined up in a semicircle in front of President Snow's chair. When the District 12 chariot finally arrived in front of President Snow, he slowly stood up and walked to the microphone.

"Citizens of Panem, here are your tributes of the 69th Hunger Games!" his voice seemed to boom through the entire Capitol, it was so loud, "It is time to begin their training. Give them one last loud cheer!" the cheers were deafening, and I felt dazed as I entered the Games Building again.

Hideki helped me out of my costume, and put me in a comfortable training outfit. I collapsed in an armchair that was in the beauty room.

"Tired already?" Hideki asked, and I could only nod, "Well, you better get used to it, Water Princess. You're going to be tired for a long time."

**A/N: Next chapter will be Annie and Sage training, and Annie just **_**might **_**find somebody attractive. :P Anyways, for those of you who want to know, Pretium is Latin for Japan. And Panem is Latin for bread. **


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